Return to the Spirit World
by DarkPresence
Summary: Immediately after the movie ends, what happens to Chihiro...
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: All the characters are creations of Hayao Miyazaki. I just gave names to Chihiro's parents (Tsukihiko and Kaori), roads and stuff. I might invent a friend for Chihiro later on though.  
  
A/N: I am totally obsessed with Spirited Away. I am watching the movie as I type this up. This continuation of it takes place immediately after the movie ends. Please read and review, I hope you like it, and I want suggestions. Also read my poems n__n ~DarkPresence  
  
As the car drove back down the rocky path, Chihiro thought about what had just happened. She rubbed the dust that had "magically" appeared when she and her parents returned from the Spirit World. Thoughts of all her friends filled her mind, images of her adventures flashed by. She looked out the back window as the entrance got smaller and smaller, then finally disappeared. Her father pulled onto the highway, then turned onto Foxglove Lane, the road that would take them to their new house. They pulled into the driveway of 526 Miyazaki Road. To Chihiro's mom's dismay, a moving truck was parked outside.  
  
"Oh no! The movers got here before we did. I KNEW we shouldn't have stopped!" she exclaimed.  
  
Her dad, Tsukihiko, replied, "Don't worry Kaori. They have the key. I bet they're almost done by now. Chihiro, you've been awfully quiet. How do you like our new home so far?"  
  
"It's okay. I liked our old house," she answered. But then the sunlight glinted off the hair-tie that her friends had made together and was filled with a new confidence. "Actually, it looks cool! A pretty shade of blue. Can I go pick out my room?"  
  
Her parents exchanged startled looks; both shocked at their daughter's sudden change in heart. Kaori nodded, speechless, and watched Chihiro bolt into the house.  
  
Chihiro ran around the first floor, looking in every room. Then she leapt up the stairs and skipped to the end of the hall. She declared, "This will be my room," and entered it to find something that she never expected to see in a million years. The walls were covered with drawings of dragons. White dragons with green manes. Memories stirred in her head and tears came to her eyes as she remembered Kohaku, her true love. She knew this must be a sign that he would return soon. She walked out sedately and looked in the other rooms. None had any sign of previous life as hers did. Chihiro strolled down the steps and looked for her parents.  
  
She found them talking to what appeared to be one of the movers. His back was to her, but she could see that his head was bald underneath an old fashioned cap. She ran up to her parents and stood next to them. Looking up, she received her second shock of the day. The man had a bushy, brown moustache covering his kind face. He wore small dark glasses over his eyes. A dark jumpsuit covered his thin, hunched figure. Chihiro could easily imagine him with two more pairs of arms.  
  
"Hello, little girl," he said. "My name is Kamaji. I'm your new neighbor. What's your name?"  
  
Chihiro was speechless. "Ka-Kamaji?" was all she managed to stutter.  
  
"We apologize for our daughter, Kamaji. She's a bit. shy," Tsukihiko said, glaring at his daughter. "Her name is Chihiro."  
  
"Chihiro? What a pretty name," he responded, smiling his warm smile. She half expected him to add, "And it's mine, now," as Yubabba had, so long ago. She smiled in response, but was not paying attention as her parents continued to talk.  
  
What's going on? She asked herself. And if Kamaji is here, will I find Haku? Will he even remember me? I need to go back to the Spirit World! Questions swirled through her brain as she tried to figure everything out. But one thing was certain: she HAD to go back. She knew all the answers were there.  
  
Coming back to earth, she watched the movers take her beloved red bike out of the truck. "Mom," she called. "Can I go exploring?"  
  
Kaori was busy telling the movers where to put things so she let Chihiro go with a, "Yeah, yeah, just don't get lost."  
  
"Thanks mom!" And with that she was off, running to the car to grab her helmet. She hopped on her bike and road down the street in the direction they came. Cars sped past on the highway; the wind pulled at her as she turned onto the "road less taken". She saw the pile of stones that shrines for the spirits. Chihiro pedaled as fast as she could, thinking of one thing: Haku. The rocky path sent vibrations through her body. It was uncomfortable, but she did not care. She needed to get there, she needed Haku. She passed a statue that stared at her in creepy silence. She was not scared this time, only relieved, for it marked the halfway point to the entrance to the Spirit World. She could feel her heart beat faster and faster as she thought of what might happen when she reached her destination. She could see light up ahead, coming from a break in the trees. FINALLY! She thought. I'll get to see Haku, and everyone else! My friends, I get to see them again! .But what if something goes wrong? She shook her head to clear that thought. "Nothing will go wrong," she growled to herself. And then she was there. She skidded to a stop at the statue that marked the entrance. The tunnel was cool and black, calling to her. Chihiro threw off her helmet and walked up to the fake old-looking building. Once again, she could feel the wind pull her in. She hesitantly put one foot out and walked in.  
  
Well, thus speaks chapter one. I hope you like it. Please review, tell me if I should make a chapter two, it's what the readers want. 


	2. Haku

A/N: Well, this is chapter two, I hope you like it.. Sorry it's taking so long, I have soooooo much homework, and some other problems, too. I'm doing my best; my goal is to write a chapter a week so people don't forget about me. Thanks to Hot Flamin Ryro, Daemon Slayer, Loki-Obsesser, Mistress of Weird, Darkmoon-on-dragonwings, ElvenWitch13 and Warcrafter for reviewing.. *thinks harder* ummm I believe that is all.. Thanks! n__n  
  
Oh, and since I don't know how to make italics, thoughts will be like /this/.  
  
And sorry for the previous mistake with Chihiro's parent's names. I have learned that they are Akio and Yuko Ogino. Thanks for putting up with me!  
  
~DarkPresence  
  
Chihiro's footsteps echoed as she walked through the tunnel. It was cold and dark, but her steps were sure as she moved closer and closer to her fate. She could see a light and quickened her pace. Finally, she emerged into the "waiting room" filled with benches. Yellow, green, blue and red light fell on her face from the window as she hastened through the room. She was practically running now, thinking only of Haku. Time seemed to slow down, then to stop as she left the building. Wind streamed all around her, another perfect day. She looked around in the late afternoon light, but, receiving the third shock of the day, something was wrong.  
  
Chihiro did a double take, discovering that what she saw was true: all the buildings were gone. Not a restaurant in sight, not even statues of some bath house customer. There was a slight mist over the lush, green hills, and as she stared, it seemed to thicken. She sank to her knees and let out a moan of anguish. There she sat, losing all track of time, sometimes sobbing uncontrollably, other times laughing hysterically. Finally, when it was too dark to see anything, she stopped crying and stood up. She turned to go, but something caught her eye. A light! Hoping it was the bathhouse, she ran to it as fast as she could. After a good ten minutes of running she caught up with it.  
  
"Haku!" she screamed, for the light was coming from a pale boy with eyes turned steely and long, dark hair. "Haku, what's going on? Where's the bathhouse? Oh, Haku!"  
  
The boy kept walking as if Chihiro wasn't there. Tears filled her eyes once again as she ran in circles around him calling his name. But still, he walked on. Feeling desperate, she screamed one other thing that came to her mind. "KOHAKU! KOHAKU RIVER!"  
  
And just as before, there was a shattering noise. The boy blinked and shook his head, gazing around. He spotted Chihiro and his eyes lit up. She smiled back, still dumbfounded, but once again happy. Questions swirled through her head and she opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced when Haku put a finger to his lips and shook his head. He motioned her to follow, then started sprinting the way she came, back toward the entrance. Looking back, she could she a flickering light, which she realized was fire. /Just another question to put on my list/ she thought. She grabbed the hand that Haku offered and together they went even faster, running no longer a problem with his magic to help.  
  
And finally, they were there. Tiptoeing through the small room, he started to cast another spell, one of protection. "In the name of the wind, and water within me, protect us!" he murmured. An eerie silence filled the room, telling Chihiro that the spell made the room soundproof. Now they were free to talk.  
  
"Haku, what's going on? Where's the bathhouse? Can you tell me? What was that fire?"  
  
"Chihiro, calm down. The truth will all come out soon enough. But you must listen carefully as I tell you what I know, absolutely no interruptions, alright?" She nodded, and shut her mouth. Dark shapes were moving closer to the building, a sinister presence creeping, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She nodded again, and Haku started his tale.  
  
"Once I saw that you were safely back in the realm of humans, I went to have that talk with Yubabba. She was being surprisingly nice, making me drowsy with food and wine. She agreed to release me into your world, and free me of work, so I signed the release contract and was turning to leave when she caught me off guard. My back was to her because I was opening the door, then she hit me with a spell. So, once again, she had my name in her possession. She made me obey her. While this was happening, there was a revolt in the bathhouse. The frogs decided that their pay wasn't high enough, so they, erm, took things into their own hands. I'm sorry, to say, they burned down the bathhouse. When I left, it was totally gone. The only trace that it existed was the huge fire still going. Damn! There's nothing left! Can you understand that? My home, everyone's home. It's where the spirits replenish themselves! All gone, there's nothing left! And now, they're trying to take over the human world. We can't let that happen, you know that, Chihiro. And I need your help. We have to save your world, since we couldn't save this one. First, we must find Zeniba and get her help. After that. well, who knows. But you have to cooperate. Our lives depend on it." 


End file.
